Brain Teasers: A brain teaser is a form of puzzle that requires thought to solve. It often requires thinking in unconventional ways with given constraints in mind; sometimes it also involves lateral thinking. Logic puzzles and riddles are specific types of brain teasers. Today's can be found below....

1. A woman depended on a public telephone to make her calls, but it was usually out of order. Each day she reported this to the phone company, but nothing was done. Finally she came up with a fib that she told the phone company. The phone was fixed the next day. What did she tell them?

2. Soon little Freddie will celebrate his tenth birthday. In 11 years Freddie will reach half the average age of his parents. His mother is only 17 years older than her son. How old are Freddie's father and mother.

The Solution

1. She told them that people were making calls without having to pay.

2. Right now Freddie is nine years old. That means he will be 20 years old 11 years from now. If that is half the average age of his parents, at age 20 he will have reached one quarter of the combined ages of his father and mother. There the combined ages of his parents must be 80 years. Since his mother was only 17 years old when Freddie was born, she will be 37 years old when he is 20. Consequently, his father must be 43. Today his mothers age is 26 and his father is 32.